Bloomberg reports that Apple is to go head-to-head with Snapchat and Instagram by developing its own video-sharing app as part of a push to target younger users. The company is said to said to be motivated by the fact that social apps generate the greatest level of engagement on the iPhone, Facebook users averaging 50 minutes a day, Snapchat users 30 minutes.

The goal behind the project’s development is to offer simple video editing with tools that appeal to the generation of users growing up with Snapchat and Instagram, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private […]

Apple’s current plan calls for its project to become a stand-alone app, presumably as a download via the App Store, but the company may decide to package the functionality into the iPhone’s existing camera application, the people said.

The focus will be on short, fun videos that are super-quick to create …

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Apple is starting to develop a video sharing app that allows users to record video, apply filters and drawings to the media — much like Snapchat does — and send it to contacts or via existing social networks such as Twitter Inc., according to the people familiar with its development. The software is currently being designed to be used mostly with one hand and with the intention that video could be shot, edited, and uploaded in less than 1 minute, the people said.

Despite the fun nature of the app, Apple is said to be bringing some serious video editing experience to the project, employing the same development team responsible for Final Cut Pro, and hiring the former president of a video production company to lead the project.

Apple is said to be currently targeting a 2017 release, though Mark Gurman notes that no final decision has been made on whether the app will ever see the light of day.

Apple is also said to have developed ‘multiple social-related features’ for iOS over the past year, none of which have yet been released.

One system that has been tested and still may launch in the future is a bolstered version of the “proactive assistance” functionality. The current implementation, bundled into iPhone software since 2015, recommends points of interest, contacts, and apps based on location and time of day.

One particularly interesting project is consolidating all communication between two people into a single view.

For example, two friends could be able to see all text messages, e-mails, and social network interactions between each other in a single window, one of the people said.

However, customer privacy is said to be of concern here.

Apple has already started heading in this direction, introducing third-party animated sticker packs to iMessage as part of iOS 10.

About the Author

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!